Drive device for voltage-controlled semiconductor element

Abstract

A drive device for a voltage-controlled semiconductor element. The drive device includes: a short-circuit current detection circuit which detects a short-circuit current flowing through the voltage-controlled semiconductor element; a timer circuit which outputs a time setting signal indicative of a determined time, responsive to the short-circuit current detection circuit detecting the short-circuit current; and a control power source voltage variable circuit which receives a power supply voltage applied to the drive device, decreases the power supply voltage for a period for which the control power source voltage variable circuit receives the time setting signal from the timer circuit, to thereby obtain a stepped-down voltage, and outputs the stepped-down voltage as a control power source voltage.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A drive device for a voltage-controlled semiconductor element, the drive device comprising:
 a short-circuit current detection circuit which detects a short-circuit current flowing through the voltage-controlled semiconductor element; 
 a timer circuit which outputs a time setting signal indicative of a determined time, responsive to the short-circuit current detection circuit detecting the short-circuit current; and 
 a control power source voltage variable circuit which
 receives a power supply voltage applied to the drive device, 
 decreases the power supply voltage for a period for which the control power source voltage variable circuit receives the time setting signal from the timer circuit, to thereby obtain a stepped-down voltage, and 
 outputs the stepped-down voltage as a control power source voltage. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The drive device for the voltage-controlled semiconductor element according to  claim 1 , wherein the control power source voltage variable circuit includes:
 a first switching element which, when the control power source voltage variable circuit does not receive the time setting signal from the timer circuit, is turned on to output the power supply voltage as the control power source voltage, and which is turned off when the control power source voltage variable circuit receives the time setting signal from the timer circuit; 
 a second switching element which is turned off when the control power source voltage variable circuit does not receive the time setting signal from the timer circuit, and which is turned on when the control power source voltage variable circuit receives the time setting signal from the timer circuit; and 
 a step-down converter circuit which decreases the power supply voltage when the second switching element is turned on. 
 
     
     
       3. The drive device for the voltage-controlled semiconductor element according to  claim 1 , wherein the time setting signal outputted by the timer circuit sets a time that is longer than a period from
 a time when the short-circuit current detection circuit detects the short-circuit current and a gate voltage of the voltage-controlled semiconductor element begins to decrease to 
 a time when the gate voltage of the voltage-controlled semiconductor element, at the time of the short-circuit current detection circuit detecting a short-circuit current, twice becomes zero. 
 
     
     
       4. The drive device for the voltage-controlled semiconductor element according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a non-latch-up circuit, and a soft shutdown circuit, wherein: 
 when the short-circuit current detection circuit detects the short-circuit current, the short-circuit current detection circuit controls a gate voltage of the voltage-controlled semiconductor element so as to restrain the short-circuit current by the non-latch-up circuit; and 
 the short-circuit current detection circuit gradually decreases the gate voltage by the soft shutdown circuit a pre-determined time after the short-circuit current detection circuit detects the short-circuit current. 
 
     
     
       5. The drive device for the voltage-controlled semiconductor element according to  claim 1 , further comprising a power supply voltage decrease detection protection circuit which detects a decrease in the power supply voltage, and which outputs a signal for gradually decreasing a gate voltage of the voltage-controlled semiconductor element. 
     
     
       6. The drive device for the voltage-controlled semiconductor element according to  claim 5 , wherein the control power source voltage variable circuit sets a level of the stepped-down voltage to a value smaller than or equal to a threshold, by which the power supply voltage decrease detection protection circuit detects the decrease in the power supply voltage.